HANOVER, Md. – Derek Blackmore hit a walk-off single to center field in the 11
th inning to lift the Coppin State baseball team to a 11-10 season-opening victory over Iona on Friday afternoon at Joe Cannon Stadium.
Making his CSU debut after transferring from rival Maryland Eastern Shore, Blackmore finished 1-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a walk while also being hit by a pitch. His game-winning base knock came on a full count and drove in
Samuel Nieves who walked to lead off the inning before advancing to second on a balk.
Gavin Grutzmacher also had a memorable Eagles debut, going 3-for-5 with two runs, a walk and a grand slam home run.
Anthony Divittorio also homered while Nieves and
Daniel Moore drove in two runs apiece.
Jayden Asencio scored twice while reaching on three walks.
Reagan Rivera fanned seven batters over the first 5.0 innings, retiring the final eight batters he faced after allowing six runs coming in the first two innings.
Luke Corcoran was charged with three runs over the next 1.2 innings before
Keith Wallace and
Brandon Stephens combined for an inning of work.
Justin Ritz threw the final 3.1 innings, allowing just two hits without allowing a run to earn the win.
Iona got out an early 6-0 run with two runs on a passed ball and two errors in the first, and another four runs in the second.
Coppin cut the deficit in half with three runs in the bottom of the second, starting with a two-run single by Moore which plated Blackmore and
Bryce Thompson. Asencio from first to third on Moore's single and scored as Moore was thrown out trying to steal second.
Rivera struck out a Gael for the second out of the third before forcing a groundout to end the inning, starting his streak of retiring eight-straight batters.
Divittorio pulled a home run over the fence in right field to make it a 6-4 deficit and Nieves tied the score later in the fifth to tie the score at six. Grutzmacher and
Indy Anderson both scored on Nieves' opposite field hit.
Iona retook the lead with three in the seventh and tacked on another run in the eighth to extend the advantage to 10-6.
Grutzmacher tied the score with one swing in the eight, hammering a grand slam home run to left field following three-straight walks issued to Asencio,
Pranav Sundar and Divittorio.
Ritz retired eight of the final nine batters he faced before Blackmore delivered the game-winner in the 11
th.
The same two teams are scheduled to meet at 1 pm on Saturday, February 15 and at 12 pm on Sunday, February 16.
